Obama: Police "Acted Stupidly" in Prof Arrest

I think that the President making an off the cuff, few sentence response to a question about a friend of his getting arrested, with the judgment that the arrest was stupid, versus waiting several days to craft a public response about a very tense situation with the potential for very negative international ramifications, is wise. I am sure he did not anticipate the Gates situation would become the sound-byte firestorm of the day, and that everyone the world over would be analyzing his words on such a minor situation - whereas we all know every syllable he utters involving Iran will be scrutinized. Just my $.02.

So I just want to be clear on this so I can judge him and previous presidents going forward - it's ok for presidents to make off the cuff, short sighted remarks, and when they do those remarks should not be considered fodder for the media or opposing parties? 😀 I just want to be clear on this!!! :lol: The standard seem to be changing, I can't keep up! :wave:

To get back off track again....does anyone remember under the Bushed Administration that FEMA had a fake press conference with their own people asking the questions.....

Yep.......

When I worked in Loss Prevention I got it all the time. "You just stopped me because I was black." My response, "No, I stopped you because you had $600 dollars stuffed into your shorts, shirt and bag."

It is common to have citizens cry racisim at every turn, and a college professor who probably makes a living spewing the sentiment is no surprise. But to have the President of the United States and leader of the free world make a comment about the Police acting 'stupidly' while admitting he did not have all the facts, quite frankly, shows me a lot.

It must be frustrating, to say the least, to feel you are judged exclusively by your race, and in a negative way, I might add. Unfortunately, this tends to taint judgement going forward and to paint every incidence as 'racial'. Politically speaking, Obama should have left this alone, but I am glad he made his true feelings known.

In much of the legislation thus proposed there have been madates set forth for racial preferences, including in the 'health care legistlation.' In this country and around the world, unfortunately, race IS an issue.

Oh boy - Obama is in the middle of a sheet storm. I wish he would just put his ego and pride aside, admit that he was wrong, ask forgiveness, and move forward. Why is this so hard :idontno:

So I just want to be clear on this so I can judge him and previous presidents going forward - it's ok for presidents to make off the cuff, short sighted remarks, and when they do those remarks should not be considered fodder for the media or opposing parties? 😀 I just want to be clear on this!!! :lol: The standard seem to be changing, I can't keep up! :wave:

Wait, you mean you are actually going to start judging him by my standards??? Oh wow, I'm so flattered. :wub:

Well, it might take me a while to compile a list of every experience that has shaped me, plus all of my education, plus the influence of all the people I've known... so you know, on second thought, maybe it might be better if you just use your own mind to determine what you think about something, k?

And I also want to respond to the folks saying that if Gates would have just respectfully cooperated, there would have been no problem. Of course! He was acting stupidly too, and unwise, and disrespectful, and he should have known better, and AND he should have realized the police were there to protect him, not mistreat him... Of course all those things are true, but even with all that, he was still not breaking the law.

Did Gates ever identify himself though? I mean, could the officer just leave? That's the part I am not clear on. He couldn't just leave some would be intruder in the house.

Police have to deal with much worse insults than those involving "your mama" and need to be in control of their emotions when dealing with people who respond irrationally, like Mr. Gates.

THANK goodness he didn't taser him!!!!!!!!

I still think Gates reaction had to do with him being exhausted from the 14 hour flight, and who knows what other factors were affecting him. His response was totally out of character... I bet if the officer had just explained that he had been trying to help Mr. Gates, and walked away, Gates would have woken up the next day feeling pretty darn sheepish. Instead, because he was arrested, he is full of outrage and righteous indignation, and the racial profiling nazis are having a field day.

I agree - but what I am trying to understand is did the officer know what we now know? Did he know it was Gates, did he know he was tired, etc.... we have to see it from his side too. He gets a call saying there is an intruder. He goes WILLINGLY to uphold the law and secure this man's property. He gets there and the man won't say, "thanks officer but it is me - prof. Gates and here's my ID." The officer wasn't a mind reader.

Here's a great piece btw.


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Getting to yes: What would it take for Gates, Crowley to shake hands

Email|Link|Comments (96) July 24, 2009 08:30 AM
By Jack Nicas, Globe Correspondent
Cambridge is at the center of a national debate on racial conflict following the arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr. by a Cambridge police officer. But the city is also known as a hub for some of the world's experts on conflict resolution. We asked one of them, professor Robert H. Mnookin, chairman of Harvard's Program on Negotiation, for his thoughts.
Q: In the interest of healing the city, what is the best course toward a resolution between Henry Louis Gates and Sergeant James M. Crowley?
Mnookin Mnookin: What I think would be interesting, and perhaps useful, is if they really sat down as two people, as two human beings. If they were both interested in exploring, what had happened, how did this happen, what impact did it have on each of them; that I think would be perhaps valuable. ...What would be interesting on a human level to see is if they would each be willing to try to listen to each other and see the world from the other person?s perspective, without letting go of their own perspective. Q: Pride seems like an insurmountable obstacle sometimes. On one hand, you have a black man who has withstood taunts from other blacks for working with The Man and achieving success in mainstream society. On the other hand, you've got an officer who is sworn to uphold civil society, dealing with, in his mind, someone who is being decidedly uncivil. How do you get both sides to admit they maybe went too far?
Mnookin: What I would ask each is if they would find it valuable to have an opportunity to really explain to the other person their perspective, to really make it clear what their perspective is, and as part of that, would they be willing to take in the perspective of the other.
Q: Do the issues of race or ethnicity complicate negotiations? How does it change things here?
Mnookin: Well, they always do. Everyone brings to any conflict their own background and perspective.
Q: Many people will offer to mediate. State Senator Anthony Gallucio has proposed a sit-down, and who knows, could Larry King or Desmond Tutu step into the mix? What kind of characteristics does a moderator need?
Mnookin: I think the main characteristic is that it would have to be someone that is acceptable to both. I would hope it would be someone who is sensitive and sophisticated, and is credible to both. ... I think someone like Larry King would be absurd. This is something that should be best done privately, not publicly. You don?t want this to be a public circus and you don?t want anyone grandstanding.
Q: Deadlines. Do they work? Would this take repeated sessions, be drawn out over weeks, or could it be done over one weekend, one meeting?
Mnookin: If they wanted to have more than one session, that?d be fine, but I wouldn?t anticipate that.
Q: Is there hope for a clean resolution?
Mnookin: I certainly think there is hope that professor Gates and this officer could sit down together and have a constructive conversation where they each came to understand better the perspective of the other -- and themselves.

THAT would be awesome!!

G

Great idea!!

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. —

The ex-wife of famed Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates believes a meeting between her ex-husband and Sgt. James Crowley is on the horizon.

“I think what transpired was unfortunate and I think when heads manage to cool down there can be a substantial conversation,” said Sharon Adams, a Somerville resident, Friday afternoon.

Adams, who said she supports her husband, said Gates and Crowley “sort of have to” meet again face-to-face to discuss the arrest and how they move forward. “I sort of hope they do,” she added.

Though seldom in touch with Gates, Adams said she and Gates have exchanged a few brief e-mails since the incident. But she believes too many people without sufficient information have already weighed in on the arrest. She declined to comment further.

“Everybody who is not directly involved in this awful incident needs to step back. I just feel like too much is being said by people who weren’t involved,” Adams said.


She sounds like a very wise woman. I think I'll take her suggestion and move on! :wave:

G

I don't think Obama's comments were wrong - I think once again people are reacting to an out of context phrase.

Obama prefaced it by saying Gates was a friend and that he didn't have all the facts yet:

"But I think it's fair to say, No. 1, any of us would be pretty angry," Obama said. "No. 2, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home. And No. 3 ? what I think we know separate and apart from this incident ? is that there is a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately, and that's just a fact."

Yes, it has escalated because of the racial issues, but race is still a HUGE deal in this country, and something that needs to be talked about and changed, so I don't see this as a horrible thing.

I certainly agree that it was a bad idea to arrest Gates - both from a practical standpoint and a public relations one.

For the officer to arrest Gates after he got the information he wanted is asinine. I don't care if Gates wasn't being cooperative, failed to exercise common sense, respect awthoritay, yadda, yadda, yadda. That still doesn't justify cuffing the man, and if he's going to sue Gates for defamation, then he really is stupid.

I like her too! Thanks for posting that.

Oh boy - Obama is in the middle of a sheet storm. I wish he would just put his ego and pride aside, admit that he was wrong, ask forgiveness, and move forward. Why is this so hard :idontno:

It is so hard because the prof is an elite socialist who thinks he is above the law. POTUS can't apoligize. That would hurt himself with the ones that are above the law.;-)

I like this girl.

I like her too! Thanks for posting that.

You go, Denise. "racial pimping"...uh huh. "outrage"..uh huh.

in light of all of this, I don't think the professor needed to be hand cuffed. :(